Scholarly Article Analysis

Describe the academic structure of the article:

How do you know this is an academic article?  Create a bulleted list of 5-8 structural features that separate this article from a popular culture article.  

• It is published in the journal, The Canadian Journal for Teacher Research
• The article begins with a titled abstract
• There is a literature review in which the author discusses related and current research regarding her study
• There is a description of her methodology
• She describes her findings
• She follows up with an “Implications and Discussion” section as well as a direction for further research in which she digs deeper into her findings and what researchers need to do in order to further her findings
• Lists references

Identify the specialized vocabulary:

Jargon is the specialized vocabulary of a particular subject area.  Create a bulleted list of 5-8 items of jargon that are used in this text. Define each in your own words

• Informal Feedback- feedback (or information) that is collected regarding a person’s work quality or performance outside of a formal setting, like a survey or a formal evaluation, in efforts to build greater rapport with employees or staff. This is usually conducted in casual, everyday interactions or situations.
• Formal Feedback- feedback (or information) that is collected regarding a person’s work quality, performance, or job satisfaction through a formal mechanism such as performance reviews, surveys, or meetings. This happens much less frequently than formal feedback.
• Pedagogy- the methods, practices, and theories that constitute a teacher’s approach to their work
• Teaching Practice- the habits, methods, and systems that teachers regularly use and apply in their classrooms. Where as pedagogy deals with a teacher’s theoretical approach or feelings toward their teaching, this is their teaching habits in action.
• School Leadership- refers to more than just the principal; it incorporates the vice principals, deans, teacher leaders, and other adults who have power and influence in the school and decision-making
• Reflective practitioners- teachers and other school staff who not only take time to reflect on their practice and methods, but apply the conclusions they arrive at from their reflections to inform, change, and improve upon their practice
• Formative Assessment- a less formal method to evaluate a person’s work. In the classroom, they are used throughout a class period in order to monitor student work and provide feedback throughout a learning activity. In the context of this study, it is used as an example of informal feedback for principals as a way to monitor teachers’ feelings toward their effectiveness as leaders throughout the year.

Cull out the argument statement:

In an academic article, the main idea statement is called an argument statement.  What is the argument statement of this text?  Copy and paste the author’s argument statement, using correct APA citation form and framing them with quotation marks.

• This article argues that “Principals believe collecting feedback from teachers is vital to effective decision-making within schools, as well as developing effective leadership practice, and they actively collect this feedback primarily through informal methods that are valued for the relational context they provide” (Benoit, 2017).

Pinpoint statements of support:

What are five statements that the author uses to support her/ his argument statement? Include only direct excerpts, using correct APA citation form and framing them with quotation marks.

• “All principals described the collection and sharing of feedback as a way to build relationships, establish trust, support teachers, and/or to encourage staff to support mandates, changes in practice, and future directions for growth and organizational change” (Benoit, 2017).
• “One principal said, ‘I think one of the ways to get people invested, especially when you’re looking to change practice in any way, is to ask them. It’s very similar to good teaching practice. Choice is very motivating for people and responding to that choice cultivates loyalty and gives you more engagement…’” (Benot, 2017)
• “All principals agreed that feedback is important for principals to collect. One principal said, ‘[Feedback] helps guide our practice…I would say our main role is to support teachers, to help them do their jobs for the success of our kids, so having any information that helps us understand the challenges and barriers they face, I think, is by all means really beneficial.’” (Benoit, 2017).
• “Principals primarily used informal feedback methods to collect data from staff, describing the context and relationships involved in such methods as integral to the collection of useful feedback data. All principals depended at least somewhat on teachers to come to them to provide feedback, maintaining an “open-door policy” in their offices and expecting teachers to voluntarily come and give feedback, especially negative feedback” (Benoit, 2017).
• “All principals used feedback primarily for operational purposes. Feedback [was used] in terms of procedures and practices within the school, developing school culture, making operational decisions, etc.” (Benoit, 2017).

Indicate value statements:

Each author approaches a topic with a particular set of values or views. After completing your reading, make a list of 3 values or views that they author represented in the text. Offer 1-2 sentences of explanation for each value statement.

• 1. The author believes that good teaching practice, as well as good leadership, stems from receiving and collecting feedback from multiple sources.
• 2. The author also believes that to be an effective leader, one must be a reflective practitioner.
• 3. Finally, the author believes that leaders need to receive both formal and informal feedback. Informal feedback is easier to collect, but formal feedback is necessary to ensure a greater chance of follow through.